21 July 2014

This weekend I was out of town Saturday night/Sunday WITHOUT my bicycle, so I needed to get in a ride on Monday. The weather was humid, but only about a 7 of 10 on the TOS (Tokyo Oppressiveness Scale).

Clouds keep the heat down a bit ...

The last few weekend rides I have headed out Onekan, so this time I decided to head for Itsukaichi. Time was limited, and I wanted to get in at least a little bit of a climb, so I turned right at Motojuku for the Kita-Akigawa, but quickly veered off the road and into the Yamabiko no Taki entrance road/parking lot and the climb for Tokisaka Touge and the famed "Touge no Chaya".

The climb is 3.8 kms and 300 meters up (or more). This gets one almost as high as the entrance to Kobu Tunnel, but with about 15 kms less riding. And the reward is a great view and a nice rest area. Only 3-4 cars to pass on the road going up and again coming down. Only 4-5 cyclists at the top and 2 sets of 2 hikers each. A hidden gem.

Of course, I could not help but remember climbing this hill with MOB, DJ and Juliane back in ... October 2006. More fun to do with friends than alone. Have I been up it since? Maybe once or twice, but a 2006 was pre-Positivo Espresso era, and the photos have never made it onto the blog. A few are included at the bottom.

Shrine at Tokisaka Touge

Looking down at the North Akigawa valley

Panorama, including resting cyclist

Two cyclists took a great interest in my Ti Travel bike. It was the first time they had seen a Ti bike with couplers. They were riding the usual carbon Ridley or De Rosa, though one said he also had a Ti Lynskey.

On the way up the river, I passed this guy on a moving carnival ride. Its horn was honking, propeller spinning, all driven by the movement of the bike or the wind.